BOTANICAL TERMS
In order to make a gardening book completely accurate and understandable, it is almost mandatory to use some so-called “scientific” terms which should really be as much a part of a gardener’s vocabulary as “annual” or “evergreen.” The following words are used in their technical sense:
Genus (plural, genera)—A group of plants related to each other by botanical characteristics. The name of the genus is like a human family’s surname, Smith, but it is written first instead of last. Oncidium is a genus of orchids.
Species (plural, species)—A plant that differs from others within a genus, usually occurring in a natural state and capable of reproducing itself in identical form. The name of a species is like a person’s first name, Alice, but is written last. Oncidium pusillum is one of several species in a genus of orchids.
Hybrid—Generally the result of fertilizing the flowers of one plant with the pollen of another; the resulting seedlings are hybrids.
Mutation or sport—A variation in any part of a plant that remains constant when that part is severed and propagated.
The word variety, however—although it has a strict botanical application—has been used more loosely and may often be defined here simply as “variation.”